Cooling apparatus



May 25 1926. 4 1,586,029

V. CREMlEU COOLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14,

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I r W atented May 25, 1926 3 VICTOR GREMIEU, 0F COLOMBIERES-SUR-ORB, FRANCE.

COOLING APPARATUS.

Application filed. April 14, 1924. gserial No. 706,621.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the cooling of various-liquids and for optionally charging the same with carbonic anhydride, by the fusion of snowlike carbonic acid.

In the present invention, the apparatus is so disposed as to produce in the first place the principal part of the cooling efiect, while the remainder of this effect, as well as the gasit'ying, is produced only at a subsequent period. By this division of the operation into two periods, I am enabled to recover the major part of the frigories equivalent to the mechanical work which has been expended for the liquefaction of the carbonic anhydride. I can further obtain in a few seconds suitable masses of ice from all liquids whose freezing point is above the melting point of the snow-like carbonic acid at atmospheric pressure, i. e., 78 degrees ce1itigrade below zero.

The appended drawings, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, show by means of example three constructional't'orms of the said apparatus, in vertical section.

In Fig. 1, the apparatus comprises a metallic tube 1 provided with coupling means 2 for connecting the same with the cock 3 of a recipient containing liquid carbonic anhydride. The other end of said tube is screwthreaded at L, and upon this end is placed the cap 5 for closing the tube; to the said cap is soldered a thin metal tube 6 which is coaxial with the tube 1, leaving an annular space 7 between the tubes which has a few millimeters thickness; To the upper part 8 of the tube 6 is secured a wood memher 9 pierced ati 10 with an aperture in which the tube 1 is revoluble by easy friction; the member 9 has therein a lateral orifice 11 which communicates directly with the space 7. The said orifice can be closed by filtering fabric 13 secured to a small board 12; this latter is connected with the member 9 by a hinge 14 whereby the orifice 11 can be opened or closed.

The operation is as follows: the apparatus is attached to the cock 3 ofthe carbonic anhydride recipient, which is so disposed that the anhydride will arrive at the said cock in the liquid state. The cock 3 is then opened, and the tube 1 becomes filled with the liquid anhydride; the joint between the end of the cap 5 and the screwthreaded end of the tube 1 is not provided with .plastic' packing, and is therefore not entirely fluidtight, so that the liquid anhydride is caused to bo1l, thus producing an intense cold, with formation of snow-like anhydride, which latter at once entirely obstructs the tube 1. The apparatus is now ready for the .treatment of a suitable liquid. In order to operate with a liquid 15 which is for instance contained in the tumbler 16, the lower end of the tube 7 is immersed in the-liquid, and one hand is then used to apply the board 12 against the orifice 11, and with the same hand the wood member 9 is given aslight alternate rotation on the part of the tube 1 passing through the said member., Due to this motion, the stopper formed of the snowlike anhydride will be broken; the ebullition of the liquid anhydride recommences in the pores of the snow-like mass, all the necessary calories being obtained from the llquid 15. by reason of the conductivity of the metallic cap 5. In fact, as soon as the movement is set up, there is produced in the liquid :1 source of cold at -78 degrees centigrade, forwhich the frigories are supplied by the ebullition, this occasions an intense cold which is sufficie'nt to instantly freeze the liquid 15 upon the walls of the tube 6 and the cap. By continuing the rotation both ways, the boiling of the anhydride becomes more pronounced; the annular space 7 becomes lilled with the snow-like anhydride as well as the orifice-l1.

When a sufficient mass of ice is formed around the tube 6, for example as shown in the drawing in dot and dash lines, the motion of the wood member 9 is arrested, the boardlQ is allowed to swing, and the snow contained in the orifice 11 ,is collected in a suitable vessel. The said vessel containing the snow is placed on the liquid 15, and by suitable extracting means, the iceadhering to the .tube 6 is dropped into the said liquid. The snow thus introduced into the liquid 15 becomes vaporized in the form of fine bubbles, which thus act to gasify the liquid as well as to impart an additional cooling to the same. I

It should be observed that since the liquid 15 is already cold, the carbonic anhydride will dissolve in a more pronounced manner than it the snow were placed in a liquid which has not yet been cooled. Obviously, the temperature of the resulting mass of ice will .depend upon the nature of the liquid 15; it. will be for instance from l to 5 degrees for a sample of wine having iii) 10 degrees on the alcoholic scale; or from 11 to 12 degrees for Vermouth (22 degrees alcohol), and the like. In this manner, as-soon as the ice begins to form, a fall of heat of constant value between the liquid under treatment and the anhydride snow will be obtained. A few seconds after removing the tube 6 from the liquid' 15 the ebullition of the anhydride is arrested by another obstruction due to the said snow; but a considerable part of the annular space 7 will still remain .filled with snow. The latter imparts its temperature to the tube 1 and to the anhydride therein, so that the temperature of the anhydride in the lower part of the tube 1 will rapidly diminish, as well as its pressure of vaporization.

During the successive operations, the carbonic acid gas issuing from the joint between the tube 1 and the cap 5 will traverse the snow which has accumulated in the space 7 by reason of the Joule-Thompson effect, so that the snow removed from the orifice 11 is below .78 degrees, and may attain 95 degrees. A considerable temperature difference will thus prevail between the bottom of the tube 1 and the carbonic anhydride recipient, when the latter is sufiiciently emptied, it contains no more liquid, but solely gaseous anhydride. It is shown by calculation that this state is attained by the pure anhydride when 5% of the weight of the contents of the recipient have evaporated, for a mixture of carbonic anhydride with 10 per cent of air, this condition will be attained for Were it not for the temperature difference between the end'of the tube 1 and the anhydride recipient, 3 to 4 twentieths of the anhydride would be unavailable for the product-ion of cold, which latter requires an ebullition. But due to the temperature difference produced during the first operations, there will be produced when reaching the stage in which the recipient contains gas exclusively, a veritable distillation between the said recipient and the tube 1. The carbonic anhydride, which is in the gaseous state in the recipient, will be liqueed in the tube 1 due to the cold wall of the latter, so that the stage of utilization of the liquid anhydride will be prolonged. It is ascertained that this stage will last: in the tube 1 as long as the pressure in said recipient does not descend below the pressure of vaporization of the carbonic anhydride at the temperature prevailing in the tube 1. In practice, with the device according to the present invention, I amenabled to obtain the ebullition in the cap 5 up to 25 to 30 atmospheres pressure, and I thus recover more than one-half the loss of cold.

Fig. 2 represents a second form of my apparatus, it being used for liquids with which gasifying would be unsuitable. The

metallic portion is the same as in Fig. 1.

In this device, there is no aperture in the I wood member 9 for the accumulation of a supply of anhydride snow; the tube 3 is secured at 8 in the member 9; somewhat below the attaching flange is a row of holes 17 communicating with the interior of an extension 18 of the member 9. The operation is the same as before. However the snow which accumulates in the space 7 is gradually driven by the gas which is given off towards the orifices 17, and when guided by the extension 18, the snow will fall in fine particles upon the surface of the liquid. 15 on which it will first float and then rapidly melt, and practically no gas will be given off.

In the third form of construction represented in vertical section in Fig. 3, the tube 1 leading from the cock of the liquid car bonic anhydride recipient is provided at its upwardly extending end with a plug or enlarged portion 19 whose lower part has a tapered form; upon the portion 19 is disposed a two-part cap 20, 21 entirely surrounding the same with a certain play, and loosely slidable on the said tube. In the lower part 21 is a tapered recess 22 which 18 bored out so as to fit exactly upon the tapered surface of the plug 19; in the latter surface are formed the apertures 23' for the outlet of the carbonic anhydride entering through the tube 1; in the same surface are also formed the longitudinal slots 24 of small cross section. In removing the cap, the surface of the said recess hermetically closes the apertures 23, but the slots 24 still form narrow ducts between the space within the said capand the atmosphere. This d1sposition is illustrated in Fig. 4 which is a cross-section of the stationary conduit, on the line A-A of Fig. 3.

The outer surface 25 of said cap is slightly tapered in order to fit into a recess of like shape 26 in the end of the tumbler or like vessel 27 containing the liquid to be cooled. To the tube 1 is secured at an adjustable height a disc 28 covered with a felt washer29 upon which is placed the bottomof said vessel, and the cold gasissuing from said cap is thus obliged to circulate below the said bottom and also upon a part of the periphery of the vessel. 30 is a sleeve of felt or like insulating substance serving to protect the vessel and its contents against external radiation the use of the said sleeve, whose shape and sizev may var according to the dimensions of the vessel, 13 optional.

The operation is as follows Upon opening the cock of the li uid carbonic anhydride bottle, the liquid ows out through the tube 1 and the apertures 23 and thus fills the recess in the cap 20, 21 in which the pressure prevailing in the bottle is established; under the effect of this pressure, the cap will be raised and the tapered surfaces of 19 and 21 will be brought together, thus closing the apertures 23. The liquid carbonic anhydri'de contained in the said cap can escape in the boiling condition only through grooves or ducts 24, so that snow-like carbonic anhydride is formed, and

this will stop up the said ducts, with a resulting diminution of pressure within the said cap.

On the other hand, the heat due to the liquid in the vessel 27 will melt the anhydride snow which is produced, and the latter will be re-formed due to the fact that the liquid anhydride again boils in the recess in the said cap. At a certain time, the upward pressure upon'the cap will be less than the weight of the said cap and of the vessel which it supports; at this moment the cap will descend, thus breaking up the snow; the apertures 23 are thereby uncovered, and a fresh quantity of liquid anhydride now fills up the pores of the disaggregated snow; the pressure within the said cap resumes its initial value, and the cap is then lifted, the apertures 23 are closed by the conical portion 4, and the above-mentioned cycle continues in an automatic manner.

An annular recess 31 may be formed in the felt disc 29 which serves to collect the carbonic anhydride snow drawn over by the escaping gas; the said snow can be used for producing gas within the various drinks in the vessel as well as for cooling the same, for instance by means of a suitable bell-, shaped spoon or scoop which canbe used to take up the snow from the said recess and to place it in the liquid in the vessel.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the cooling of liquids by the ebullition and expansion of carbonic anhydrid, comprising a tube adapted for connection with the cock of arecipient containing liquid carbonic anhydrid, a cap fitted-on the end of the said tube, the internal wall of the said cap andthe external wall of the said tube being'separated by a very narrow interval for the outlet of carbonic anhydrid and the said cap being able to be displaced with respect to the' tube in order to disintegrate the carbonic anhydrid snow which could obstruct the said interval.

2; An apparatus for the cooling of liquids connection with the cock of a receptacle containing liquid carbonic anhydride under pressure, the outlet end of said tube being upwardly directed and provided with an external enlargement, and a movable cap surrounding the said enlargement'and slidable upon the said tube, narrow ducts being formed between the adjacent walls of the said tube and ca for the outlet of gaseous carbonic anhydri e, the outer surface of said cap being tapered and serving as a support for the vessel containing the liquid to be cooled.

3. An apparatus for the cooling of liquids by the ebullition and expansion of carbonic anhydride, comprising a tube adapted for connection with the cock of a receptacle containing liquid carbonic anhyd'ride under pressure, the outlet end of said tube being upwardly directed and provided with an external enlargement, and a movable cap surrounding the said enlargement and slidable upon the said tube, narrow ducts being formed between the adjacent walls of the said tube and ca for the outlet of gaseous carbonic anhydride, the outer surface of said cap being tapered and serving as a support for the vessel containing the liquid to be cooled, apertures being formed in. said tube and in its enlarged part for the discharge of carbonic anhydride, the said cap having a'poition which is adapted toclose the said apertures when the cap is lifted.

4. An apparatus for the cooling of liquids by the ebullition and expansion of carbonic anhydride, comprising a tube adapted for connection with the cock of a receptacle containing liquid carbonic anhydride under pressure, the outlet end of said tube being upwardly directed and provided withan external enlargement, and a movable cap surrounding the said enlargement and slidable upon the said tube, narrow ducts being formed between the adjacent walls of the said tube and cap for the outlet of gaseous carbonic anhydride, the outer surface of said cap being tapered and serving asa support for the vessel containing the liquid to be cooled, and a cup-shaped element adjustably mounted upon the said tube and situated below the said cap, whereby the gas escaping from the said cap shall be guided upon the bottom of said vessel and also against a portion of its periphery.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

VICTOR CREMIEU. 

